Damper.



C. M. TYLER.

DAMPER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1912.

Patented July 20, 1915.

\OLUMBA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. C

1. TED ATES OFFICE.

CLIFFORD M. TYLER, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DAMPER- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1912. Serial No. 700,917.

rents and back drafts and the main object of my invention is to overcome this defect and provide a damper especially for fireplaces, but useful for other purposes, which will insure a proper passage for the draft.

My invention consists primarily in a damper movably mounted on a support and adapted in all positions to properly define the path of the draft.

A feature of my invention consists in having the axis movable.

Another feature consists in having the axis movable and the damper balanced-in all positions.

Another feature of my invention consists in a support or frame with a curved front more fully described below.

Other inventional features will be hereinafter'pointed out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is asection on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a central section; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section showing the damper open Fig. 6 is an elevation of the finger piece; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of a modification.

The frame which supports the damper is made in one casting and comprises side walls a a sloping inwardly from front to rear and inwardly from bottom to top; rear wall a sloping slightly inward from bottom to-top; ledge a to engage the brickwork; front wall a and shelves or supporting tracks a a whose lower portions slope downwardly toward the side walls. The front wall a is curved at its lower portion for a distance amounting to about two-thirds of its upward dimension and the upper portion is substantially vertical. This construction gives the greatest efficiency in preventing back drafts and undesirable air currents, and therefore also the greatest economy of fuel and the least likelihood of smoking in case my device is used in connection with fireplaces.

The frame or support just described may be set in the brickwork or other wall in any suitable way.

Damper B has downwardly projecting lugs b b, one at about the center of each side edge, the lugs being preferably provided With rollers 25 b and forming the axis about which the damper swings. A downwardly projecting lug Z) preferably provided with roller 6 is provided at each front corner of the damper, or it may be provided elsewhere along the front edge offthe damper, to ride in groove 6 formed by the wall 6 of the shelfaf and the inner surface of front wall a Each roller Z2 rides on the horizontal upper face of its adjacent shelf a the front edge of which is preferably slightly curved and when the damper swings from its'closed position the lugs I) ride along the shelves transversely of the support and toward the-front wall, the rollers b on lugs 6 being guided in the grooves 19 b the downward movement of'rollers being limited by lips I) b on the lower portion of the shelves. This movement of the lugs I) along the shelves gives a bodily movement to the damper and by this expression I mean a movement of all parts of the damper including its axis. j I

Finger piece D is used to move the damper and comprises hook d loosely entering projecting lug ol on the damper and has slot CF to receive lug d projecting from the wall a so that member D may have lengthwise movement with reference to lug d but being held against inward swinging movement by cotter pin (Z When the finger piece is pulled downwardly the hook engages lugs d and lowers the front edge of the damper and when the finger piece is pushed upwardly the shouldersd engage said lug to raise thefront edge of the damper.

In Fig. 7 I have indicated another form of my invention in which shelf E has teeth 6 which engage a toothed segment E and in this form a downward pull on the front edge of the damper opens the latter, and the balance is preserved in whatever position the damper may be left.

The construction of my front wall a in which the lower portionis curved provides the most efficient guiding surface forthe entering air currents, it being a fact that in case. my damper is used in fireplaces'the Patented July 20, 1 915.

products of combustion rise near the back of the frame or support and the greatest efliciency is had if the enteringair is allowed to rise near the front of the damper meeting the. gaseous products of combustion well up within the frame and moreover my construction makes sure that there areno projecting surfaces to interfere with the draft or to make harmful eddies or back currents, it being clear that the damper makes with the inner surface or wall a a practically continuous path for the draft in whatever position the damper may be.

It is highly important to have a frame or support made separate from the brickwork so that it may be accurately made while in an accessible location as distinguished from attempting to shape the inside of the brickwork itself and my frame, having its wall shaped substantially as shown and being substantially a continuation of the damper in any of its open positions is an important feature of my invention.

In using my damper the finger piece is pulled down in case it is desired to open the damper and the latter will remain balanced in any position which it may occupy so that I not only provide that the damper may occupy any of an infinite number of open positions but I do away with the necessity of having any positive means for holding the damper in a position into which it may have been moved by the finger piece, the weight of the finger piece being so slight that it does not appreciably affect the balance of the damper.

Among the other advantages I may point out that my construction is very simple and inexpensive and that obstruction to the draft is reduced to the minimum.

That I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a flue provided with a fixed support; a damper mounted within said flue to rotate on said support, the axis of rotation of the damper being movable to change the damper from one operative position to another operative position, the damper being balanced on its axis of rotation and being adapted to rest in the closed and open position and in any desired intermediate position,

2. A device of the character described comprising a flue provided with a fixed support; a damper mounted within said flue to rotate on said support, the axis of rotation of the damper being movable to change the damper from one operative position to another operative position, the damper being balanced on its axis of rotation and being adapted to rest in the closed and open position and in any desired intermediate position and means for determining the desired position of rest of the damper.

3. A device of the character described comprising a fixed support; and a damper mounted to swing on said support; the axis of rotation of the damper being movable; and a finger piece to open and close the damper.

4. A device of the character described comprising a support having two shelves and two grooves, said shelves having lugs;

and a damper which rides on said shelves and having lugs at one edge guided by said grooves, the downward movement of the lugs on the damper being limited by the lugs on the shelves and means for determining the position of the plane of the damper.

5. A device of the character described comprising a frame having the lower portion of its front wall substantially convex inwardly; and a damper mounted to swing on the frame above said convex portion, said convexed portion being immediately above the fire-place opening and being arranged to obtain a gradual mingling of the products of combustion with the air which enters above the fire.

6. A device of the character described comprising a frame having a front wall the lower portion of which is substantially convex inwardly and the upper portion of which is substantially vertical, said convexed portion being immediately above the fire-place opening and being arranged to obtain a gradual mingling of the products of combustion with the air which enters above the fire; and. a damper mounted to swing on the frame.

7. A device of the character described comprising a frame made in a single piece and comprising a rear wall, two side walls and a front wall, the latter being substantially vertical at its upper portion and substanti ally convex inwardly at its lower portion; and a damper mounted to swing on said frame and having its axis of rotation movable, one edge of the damper being adjacent to said vertical portion when the damper is closed and moving in adjacency to said vertical portion as the damper is opened, so as to form with said front wall a continuous guide for the draft in whatever position the damper may be.

8. As an article of manufacture a frame for the purpose of obtaining a gradual mingling of the products of combustion with the air which enters above the fire made in a single piece and comprising a rear wall, two side walls and a front wall, the latter being at its lower portion substantially convex inwardly and at its upper portion substantially vertical.

9. A device of the character described comprising a support having two shelves and two grooves; and a damper having rollers upon which the damper rides and rotates on said shelves, said damper having other rollers at its front edge guided in said grooves.

10. A device of the character described comprising a support having two shelves and two grooves; and a damper which rides on said shelves and having lugs at one edge guided by said grooves, the downward movement of the damper being limited by the support.

11. A device of the character described comprising a flue wall; two supporting tracks; and a damper supported at a single point on one of said tracks and also at a single point on the other of said tracks, said damper having rotation on, and bodily movement along, said tracks, the vertical edges of the latter which is parallel to said plane in adjacency to said wall throughout 7 the travel of the damper.

12. A device of the character described com prising a support having two shelves; a wall parallel with the front of the fireplace; and a damper which rides on said shelves and has a lug and groove connection with said support to guide one of the edges of the damper which is parallel to said wall in adjacency to said wall during said riding.

1.3. A device of the character described comprising a front flue wall; a support; and a damper mounted to swing on said support and having its axis of rotation movable, the front edge of the damper being adjacent to said wall when the damper is closed and moving in adjacency to said wall as the damper is opened so as to form with said front wall a continuous guide for the draft in whatever position the damper may be.

14. A device of the character described comprising a support having two shelves and a groove; and a damper mounted to rotate on said shelves and moving bodily along said shelves and having a lug at its front edge guided by said groove.

15. A device of the character described comprising a frame having a rear wall, two

side walls and a front wall, the latter being substantially vertical at its upper portion and substantially convexed inwardly at its lower portion; and a damper mounted to swing on said frame and having its axis of rotation movable, one edge of the damperbeing. adjacent to said vertical portion when I the damper is closed and moving in adjacency to said vertical portion as the damper is opened so as to form with said front wall a continuous guide for the draft in whatever position the damper may be.

16. A device of the character described comprising a flue; two substantially horizontal supporting tracks; and a damper to regulate the draft in said flue and supported at a single point on one of said tracks and also at a single point on the other of said tracks, said damper having rotation on, and

bodily movement transversely of its axis along, said tracks, the vertical plane which passesthrough the points of engagement of the damper and said tracks containing the line of direction of gravity of the damper in all operative positions of the damper, the

damper. being balanced on its axis and being adapted to rest in the closed and open position and in any desired intermediate position to regulate the draft in said flue.

17. A device of the character described comprising a flue wall; two supporting tracks; and a damper supported at a single point on one of said tracks and also at a single point on the other of said tracks, said damper having rotation on, and bodily movement along, said tracks, the vertical plane which passes through the points of engagement of the damper and said tracks containing the line of direction of gravity of the damper inall operativepositions of the damper and being parallel with said wall; and a guide cooperating with the damper to guide one of the edges of the latter which is parallel to said plane in adjacency to said wall throughout the travel of the damper..

18. A device of the character described comprising a flue wall; a support; and a damper mounted to swing on said support and having its axis of rotation movable, one of the edges of the damper which is parallel with said axis being adjacent to said wall when the damper is closed and movingin adjacency to saidwall as the damper is opened so as to form with said wall a continuous guide for the draft in whatever position the damper may be.

19. A device of the character described comprising a flue wall having the lower portion substantially convexed inwardly; and a damper mounted to swing'in the flue above said convexed portion, said convexed porbustion with the air which enters above the fireplace. I

20. A device ofthe character described comprising a flue wall provided'with a support; and a damper mounted to swing on said support and having its axis of rotation 1 movable, one of the edges of the damper which is parallel with said axis being adj acent to said wall when the damper is closed and moving in adjacency to said wall when the damper is opened so as to form with said wall a continuous guide for the draft in whatever position the damper may be.

CLIFFORD M. TYLER. Witnesses:

GEORGE A. ROCKWELL, ARTHUR F. RANDALL.

Copies of this patent maybeobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). O1. 

